‘The Terror had successfully strengthened the Republic by the beginning of 1795.’ How far do you agree with this statement? (2017)

Question 1

1. the Terror had successfully strengthened the Republic by the beginning of 1795

Answer 1

 The Committee of Public Safety and the Committee for General Security employed various bodies to combat the internal threats to France e.g. representatives en mission enforced Paris’s will over the provinces

Question 2

2. the Terror had successfully strengthened the Republic by the beginning of 1795

Answer 2

 By 1795 the army, containing many committed revolutionaries dedicated to upholding the principles of 1789, was a formidable fighting force

Question 3

3. the Terror had successfully strengthened the Republic by the beginning of 1795

Answer 3

 The Terror also ensured that measures were introduced to accelerate the process of dealing with other ‘enemies’ of France e.g. the Girondins and Marie-Antoinette

Question 4

4. the Terror had successfully strengthened the Republic by the beginning of 1795

Answer 4

 The Terror enabled the Republic to avoid economic breakdown e.g. the Maximum fixed prices and made hoarding a capital offence, and central control kept the army and Paris supplied with food

Question 5

5. the Terror had successfully strengthened the Republic by the beginning of 1795

Answer 5

 Measures introduced during the Terror to fight the war contributed to victory which strengthened the Republic e.g. conscription and action against draft-dodgers and deserters.

Question 6

1. other factors successfully strengthened/the Terror did not successfully strengthen the Republic by 1795

Answer 6

 The violent excesses of the Terror created serious divisions and resentment which turned many people against the Republic

Question 7

2. other factors successfully strengthened/the Terror did not successfully strengthen the Republic by 1795

Answer 7

 The religious Terror directed against the Catholic church alienated many e.g. dechristianisation was deeply resented in the villages

Question 8

3. other factors successfully strengthened/the Terror did not successfully strengthen the Republic by 1795

Answer 8

 The later stages of the Terror were primarily focused on removing those Robespierre regarded as threats to his ideal society (e.g. Danton and Desmoulins) rather than strengthening the Republic

Question 9

4. other factors successfully strengthened/the Terror did not successfully strengthen the Republic by 1795

Answer 9

 The execution of the Hebertists and the dissolution of the popular societies (1794) weakened the Republic by alienating the sans-culottes.